Hi!

Wow I haven't written in here in a week! I am so bad about keeping a personal journal! Well, I am not particularly 'counting calories' anymore. I mean I am being aware of what I eat and how much, I'm just not writing everything down and calculating everything. I'm sure this will bite me in the butt, but it's just so much work to keep track! I haven't lost anymore weight yet, but I haven't gained any either!

I haven't really had anything too exciting going on. My new frige is being delivered today. yay! Hopefully this one will keep working! All this waste of money on extra food that's spoiled and now getting a new frige has really set us back on our savings plan. We have so much that we need to save for and we just can't seem to get any of it done!

Ok, well that's all for now. I need to go do an entry for God's Life Lessons. Tata!

Monday Greetings!

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was pretty good. Actually it was really better than just good. My husband had the weekend off too ( amazing!) and we got to spend some time together, so it was great!

On Saturday I had my nephews birthday party, he turned 3 :) And so I spent some time with friends and family then. We had a watergun fight which was quite hilarious as it was like a bunch of kids of all ages! And then that night Mike and I watched 'Fireproof' with Kirk Cameron. Wow. If you have not seen this movie, watch it now - especially if you are married! I think that Mike and I were both affected by this movie and it seemed to have maybe brought us a little closer.

Sunday we decided to head down to Miami to visit his friend from work who's in Jackson Memorial due to an accident at work where he got electrocuted by power lines. It was a really good visit and he is doing really well. We were quite happy about that. Since we were already in Miami, we decided to see some sights, such as the beach. Neither of us had ever been to Miami beach and I had never even really been to Miami. Boy that was quite an experience for this small town girl! I thought that I wasnt so much a small town girl because I had lived in Orlando for a few months, but let me tell you, I am a small town girl and I am staying that way!!

The traffic was crazy- and the drivers even worse - especially the bikers! When I first experienced the bikers racing up in between the lanes of traffic, I was more sympathetic towards them saying things like " Oh God, don't they know how dangerous that is??". By the time we had left the beach and were trying to get back across the causeway it turned to," Ok, it may sound bad, but someone needs to just open thier door on them or something. Someone's got to teach them a lesson!" I had had enough. Enough traffic, enough crazy drivers , enough people and enough of Miami! It didn't help that I also have a sinus infection!

I couldn't believe how many people can fit on one beach! I swear the sea of people was bigger that the ocean! I also got to see several cruise ships and as I have never seen one in person before, I was amazed. They are so huge!!! I used to want to go on a cruise, but now I am second thinking that because of all the people. Don't get me wrong, I do like people, I am a people person, I am just not a crowd-of-people person!

But anyhow, it was really nice that I got to see all those new sights with my husband. I am just so thankful for him.

When you begin to feel sorry for yourself.....

I receieved this as an email today, and I just have to share it with everyone that I can. God, don't let me ever take anything for granted. And please, Lord, help me to be able to help others...

If you think that you are unhappy, look at them...

If you think your salary is low, how about her?

If you think that you don't have many friends...

When you feel like giving up, think of this man.

If you think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as he does?

If you complain about your transportation system, how about their's?

Is your Society unfair to you, how about her?

Enjoy life how it is and as it comes. Things are worse for others and is a lot better for us. There are many things in your life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those.

Observe around you and be thankful for all that you have in this transitory lifetime...

We are fortunate, we have much more than what we need to be content. Let's try not to feed this endless cycle of consumerism and immorality in which this "modern and advanced" society forgets and ignores the other two thirds of our brothers and sisters.

Off to a good start!

Ok, so Monday marked a new start on my quest for health and weight-loss. I can finally make my breakfast smoothies again and pack healthy, nutritious lunches! We're also getting back on schedule for our workouts. We went to the gym last night and I worked mainly my legs and lower back. Tonight I'll be working my arms, shoulders and upper back. Of course we start and end with a little cardio too. I REALLY didn't want to go last night because I was so tired, but I felt really good afterwards. I was still tired, but I felt accomplished even if I didn't give it my all that I usually do. If I am going to beat this weight and get myself into a healthy range, I need to really put some "Oomph" into my workouts. I think that I need to start making myself go on Saturdays too.

I find it easy to stop and talk when I go there with Dyanne. And also going during the week, I'm usually in more of a hurry because I need to get home and cook for the family. If I can go on Saturdays and maybe even Sundays with my husband, then maybe I can not be in such a rush and really spend some focused time. I'm also going to start breaking out the dance video on nights that I'm not going to the gym.

I plan on going to San Diego to see my brother in late July probably and I want to lose as much as possible before then. He wants to take us to Disneyland and the zoo and such, and I want to go and be able to walk a long time without hurting. I'm still not sure if any of my kids will be going with us. I'd like them to because they've never met thier uncle, but my oldest refuses to fly and I'm not sure if my youngest will be able to go or not. We'll see.

Alright, well that's my update for now. .....

Blah...

Well this week didn't start real well and it's certainly not ending well when it comes to my eating habits and exercise routine. My workout buddy has been sick all week and I have been without a frige and freezer ( well I have a freezer in the laundry room, bur it's jam-packed!). My landlord finally got my new frige in place today so tomorrow I am going shopping! Without being able to make my smoothies in the morning and not having lunchmeat and such, it's been really rough and my schedule has been really messed up!

I guess for some people, like me, it's better to have a set pattern and way of doing things to keep yourself on track and organized. I have been stopping at the store just about everyday so that I can try to make sure that I don't eat a bunch of junk, but I am really missing the fresh fruit and veggies that I had gotten so used to. I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things!

Dyanne will hopefully be feeling better this coming week and we'll get back into our exercise routine too! Well, that's it for today! TTFN!

If at first you don't succeed.....

...try, try again! So once again, I am trying! I had every intention of eating properly and working out really hard yesterday. But well, not all intentions work out very well! Since my refrigerator is broken ( new one coming on Fri!! ), I have no milk or yogurt in the house for me to make my morning smoothies. So, yesterday I stopped at McDonald's and got a chicken biscut and hashbrown. Ok so there's meal #1 of empty calories soaked in pure fat. I did good for lunch, since I packed it. I had 1 cup of Progresso Soup Chicken Gumbo , 1 Fiber One bar, 1 Jello Liv Active pudding cup and some pistachio's. And then I picked the kids up McDonald's for dinner since my hubby wasn't going to be home for dinner and I was going to the gym. Still sounds good, right? Wrong! I was so hungry at McDonald's that I got a 1/4#'er. I didn't get myself any fries, but I ate some of my kids' fries.

Ok, so all the bad stuff behind me, Dyanne and I headed for the gym. Normally, I can't workout enough. Normally I want to keep going but because I need to get home and cook, I can only stay about an hour or so. Last night I didn't have to cook ( my hubby didn't even get to come home from work and was stuck in Miami ) and I felt like crap! My head felt funny and I developed a headache and dizziness while trying to work out. The 1st 5 minutes on the Elliptical was fine, but when I moved to do the circuit training, it all happened. So with Dyanne still not feeling well either, we skipped the elliptical and guess what we did. That's right, we ate.

To the Chinese buffett we went! I did eat lots of veggies, but I also had a couple fried wontons and a couple bbq ribs. I suppose overall, what I ate wasn't too bad, except for the fact of everything else I ate earlier!!!

What's wrong with me??? I was doing SO good! But now my routine has been messed up and instead of rolling with the punches, I caved in and made ALL the wrong choices! Today is a new day though!

I stopped at the store this morning to make sure I had the proper food for the day. I bought one cup of greek yogurt w/ honey to go with my bowl of fruit, Smart One's breakfast quesadilla and a Lean Cuisine with Salmon. Of course, I just now realized that I didn't pull anything out for dinner, guess I'll have to stop at the store again! I'll be SO glad to get my new frige! It's really hard to plan meals and even cook when you don't have a place to put the cold stuff!

So, anyhow, today is the day that I begin my journey to the new me - AGAIN!!!

Long time...

Well hello again all! Ok, so I'm no good at keeping a blog! I will try harder. Let's see... update....

I joined our "Biggest Loser" thing at work again. Last time I lost 8 lbs I think and then gained 25 afterwards. So far this time, I have lost 9, but gained 4 back due to non-stop gnoshing over the weekend!

This is my typical day with food and exercise.

Breakfast: Smoothie... YUMMY! .... I mix 1/2 cup Smart Choice Fat Free milk ( which tastes like maybe 2% ) with 2 scoops of Nutiva Hemp protein in berry flavor, 3 oz Acai and berry juice, 1/2 ounce liquid vitamins, 1/2 banana and a total of about 1 or 1 1/2 cups of frozen fruit ( Mango, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Pineapple). This provides a LOT of nutrition and fills me up quite well! ( approx 350 cals)

Morning Snack: Sometimes I am not even hungry and dont have a snack, but when I do, I make sure that it's low in calories and perferrably fresh fruit or yogurt. ( usually around 100 cals or less.)

Lunch: This may be a turkey wrap made at home with "Flatout" flat bread and lean turkey lunch meat, spicey mustard, salad greens, chick peas, black olives and tomatoes. Or maybe it's a cup of Progresso Lite Reduced Sodium soup, or maybe a salad with turkey, chick peas, black olives, tomatoes, a few croutons, etc... ( This may range from 100 cal with the soup to 300 cals)

Afternoon Snack: Again, sometimes I have one, sometimes I dont, but always low cal and healthy.

Dinner: Lots of veggies, 1/2 cup brown rice or potatoes or whole grain pasta ( some sort of 'good carb' ) and approx 4 oz of lean protein ( usually chicken or fish )

Desert: I keep "Skinny Cow" Skinny Dippers around for that sweet tooth!

I meet with a friend 3 nights a week. We go to the gym for a workout or walk the track. I also try to keep moving the other nights of the week and during the day at work. I may dance to whatever music I feel like for 30 mins or pop in a dance dvd or maybe just take the dog for a walk - whatever gets me up and moving! Some people may watch me and think I'm just a nervous person or something as much as I move, but every little bit helps!!

Now, over the past week, I have not gotten as much exercise as I was because my exercise partner has been sick and honestly, I haven't felt too great either, but I blame my not feeling great on the poor food choices I have made over the last week too! They say that you should have a day where you eat more calories than usual to help your metabolism keep rev'd and to keep it from getting used to a decline in calories, but one should still stay in control! I normally eat about 1500 cals per day ( or at least this is my goal!! ) and so on the weekends, I pick one day to eat a little extra. On that day, I eat sensibly and low cal all day and then we'll pick a place to go to dinner and I'll get a small , sensible steak and choose veggies for my sides. So I'm still eating sensible but can also have a drink or two and not be too far over the edge. This plan was working great until this weekend when I had to make two trips to Orlando ( one to pick my son up and one to drop him off ). Those weekends are a challenge because there's always fast food, and sometimes afterwards I feel horrible and figure I might as well go ahead and eat whatever I want. I'm really trying to change this train of thought!

I have also began using a few different products from vitacost.com that are worth mentioning, especially if you are seeking to lose weight and/or get healthier.

1. NSI's Glucomannan - this is an insoluable fiber that bulks up in your stomach so that you feel fuller quicker and longer. Obviously because it is fiber, it also helps in waste elimination.

2. Nature's Secret Ultimate Cleanse Kit - This comes with two bottles. One is cleansing with herbs and one is cleansing with fibers. It's very gentle, but very effective! My stomache has actually not been so bloated and I feel SO much better! Check out vitacost.com for more info.

3. Nutiva's Hemp Protein + Fiber - This is a protein powder made from Hemp which is a great protein! It's very easily digested and a great addition to smoothies and such.

4. Nutiva's Hemp Protein in Berry Pomegranit Flavor - The same as above but not such a strong smell or flavor, it mixes even better with smoothies or even just with some milk before a workout.

5. Dynamic Health Organic Certified Acai juice Blend - This is a delicious juice made from Acai berries, Goji, Pomegranite, Blueberries and Mangosteen ( Superfruits!!) If you don't already know all the health benefits to these fruits, please google them!

6. Peter Gillham's Natural Vitality Liquid Vitamins - This has a very pleasant citrus-like flavor and being liquid is easily absorbed by the body. I used to purchase this from my chiropractors office a few years ago and wow! What a difference it made! I'm using about 1/3 of the recommended amount since I also use the other stuff and eat pretty healthy, but I know it works!!

7. Green Tea capsules - some say this helps with the metabolism and helps to burn fat. I don't know if it does or not, but it does give me a little more energy so I take two of these in the morning with my smoothie.

When I follow this way of life ( it is NOT a diet! ), I feel amazing! I have more energy than when I was in my early 20's ( and I'm now quickly approaching my mid 30's! ), my mind is clear, my thoughts can be easily organized and it seems that even my will power has gotten stronger!

One important thing I have learned is to not cheat. No, I dont mean that I dont ever have a piece of chocolate ( for I would DIE without chocolate! ), or that I don't eat stuff that may not be healthy. What I mean is this. Cheating has a negative connotation. To cheat is to sin. When one cheats, they almost always berate themselves and feel like a failure. I allow myself to have something if I really want it. Nothing is "off-limits". BUT I make sure that I know if I choose to have that piece of chocolate cake, then that's X amount of calories and I adjust the rest of my food or maybe exercise a little longer and/or harder. It's a choice. This way I never feel like I've done something wrong and I also never feel deprived like so many do when they "diet". It's this deprivation that leads to so many "diet" failures.

Wow. I think I have done so much learning and research on this matter, I could probably write my own book! Maybe that's just what I should do here - write about the things I learn pertaining to diet, exercise and health. Please let me know if you have a question or comment. I'd love to hear from you!